Meaning of confiscate in English
Verb
confiscateEtymology
mid 16th century: from Latin confiscat-‘put away in a chest, consigned to the public treasury’, from the verb confiscare, based on con-‘together’ + fiscus‘chest, treasury’Definitions
1. take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authorityExamples
- « The FBI seized the drugs »
- « The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment »
- « The police confiscated the stolen artwork »
Derived terms
Classifying Adjective
confiscateDefinitions
1. surrendered as a penaltySynonyms
- 2. taken without permission or consent especially by public authority
Examples
- « the condemned land was used for a highway cloverleaf »
- « the confiscated liquor was poured down the drain »
Synonyms
Famous quotes
- « By a continuing process of inflation, government can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. » John Maynard Keynes